After a week off from daily fantasy NASCAR due to the All-Star race, we are back for the Coca-Cola 600 from Charlotte Motor Speedway. The longest race of the year will test drivers and teams in a few different ways. First of all, hydration and stamina are going to be huge on the driver's part and for the team, it is all about making the adjustment from a day race to a night race. Those who transition the fastest and most effectively will be there at the end for a chance to grab the checkered flag.
From a fantasy perspective, we will be looking to build our lineups around two or three drivers who have a shot at dominating the race and picking up those bonus points for laps led. Last year Martin Truex Jr. dominated the entire race leading 396 laps en route to his win and the three 600's before that saw just two drivers lead more than 100 laps. There is also some excellent value out there in terms of place differential so let's jump in and take a look at a few of the top picks for the week.
Daily Fantasy NASCAR: DraftKings DFS Lineup Picks - Coca-Cola 600
Matt Kenseth ($8,700)
Kenseth comes with a lot of upside this week at a very low cost as his salary went up from Kansas but still remains in the sub $9K range. He has finished inside the Top 10 in four of his last five Coca-Cola 600's here at Charlotte and has been near the top of the speed charts all weekend. He qualified fourth in Thursday afternoon and then posted the 15th and 2nd fastest times in the final two practices on Saturday. He was also second fastest when looking at 10 lap averages in final practice. At his current salary, Kenseth is safe in all formats.
Kyle Larson ($10,100)
His price is back above $10K but it really doesn't matter at this point if he was the most expensive every week. This kid is a superstar and is proving it week in and week out. He hit the wall hard in opening practice but instead of going to a backup car the team fixed the car. He eventually ended up posting the fastest overall speed in final practice and the fourth fastest 10 lap average. They missed qualifying putting Larson at the back of the field which gives him some elite place differential value. Don't worry about the high ownership as the upside is through the roof this week.
Ryan Newman ($7,300)
Without evening taking salary into account, Newman ranks fifth overall in my model this week. It has to do with the track history where he has finished 15th or better in each of his last eight Charlotte races and Top 10 in two straight Coca-Cola 600's. He is not only going to provide that Top 10 upside again this week but he also comes with place differential upside. He will start 17th on Sunday but posted the 12th and 6th fastest speeds in the final two practices. Newman is safe in all formats.
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DFS & Fantasy NASCAR Chat Room
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